


It had to be him

by YukiOnnaOfWinter



Category: Doctor Who
Genre: Gen, It's a cool idea though, Master is Rory!, One Shot, seriously written ages ago, something old
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-01
Updated: 2014-12-01
Packaged: 2018-02-27 18:58:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,088
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2702963
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YukiOnnaOfWinter/pseuds/YukiOnnaOfWinter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rory can't stop the srumming in his head.  The Doctor suspects that he knows why but can't be sure.  Is it too late to save Rory and is he the Master?</p>
            </blockquote>





	It had to be him

**Author's Note:**

> Just something that I wrote ages ago but I'm transfering a lot of my work over to AO3...so... Enjoy!

I don’t own Doctor who!

Rory POV 

There’s this drumming, always drumming, in my head. I tried telling Amy once, when it started, but she dismissed it. I think that’s Hitler in the cupboard. Yes, it could have been. Bang bang bang bang. Let me out, I’m the Fuhrer. No. It doesn’t stop. It pauses. When I run for my life, when I’m happy or scared or just so Rory but then it starts again. In the quiet it’s there. Bang bang bang bang and it’s driving me mad.  
The doctor’s at the control panel again. He’s trying to fix the chameleon circuit. “You could fix it if he just tried hotwiring the fragment links and superseding the binary...” Why are they staring at me? It’s just rocket science. I can’t stand their stares anymore, combined with my headache it’s too much, I leave the room, running for my room and Amy’s there following me. Bang bang bang bang. It’s almost funny how our feet pounding against the floor match the pattern of the drums.

 

Doctor POV  
It’s not like with Donna, not again. I try not to think about the fact that Rory quoted her almost word for word. It doesn’t stop me considering the possibilities though. He didn’t stutter or go into shock so it’s not a Doctor-Rory. Eventually I’ve considered all other possibilities and over the course of a few adventures disproved them all. (“No Doctor I don’t crave chocolate milk, just an aspirin for this pounding…why did you just hit me?” Damn, not the tick. ) 

There must be something I’m missing. All that seems wrong is that headache he keeps complaining about, that pounding headache. It has to be that. I start to look through the stuff I’ve collected on some of my most recent adventures hoping to find a cure. I think I’m making Amy worried, she’s tried to help me but I can’t risk giving her the same disease.

It’s escalated. I can’t trick him with the psychic paper either. I’ve looked through almost everything. A life preserver from the space Titanic, a stethoscope I used to be fond of, etc. There’s only one thing that I won’t consider, an old fob watch. It was stupid of me to leave it out, I know that now.  
Amy notices first. After that it seemed obvious, the elephant in the room, the one possible cause that I didn’t want to see. 

Tap tap tap tap. 

“Rory, stop that.” Tap tap tap tap. 

“Rory, I said, stop it!” They have my attention now. 

“I’m not doing anything!” 

“That tapping, stop, it’s annoying.” Dread pools in the bottom of my stomach. No, it couldn’t be. 

“Can’t you hear them Amy.” No, stop, please, anything but this. 

“The drums.” We say it at the same time. He looks at me quickly hope shining in his eyes. It hurts that I’ll have to crush it. 

“You hear it too? The drums? They won’t stop. Why Doctor?” I can’t do this. His voice is so filled with hope but if it’s true then he can’t hope for anything more than pain from me. I flee the room suddenly and his shout follows me down the hall.

 

Rory POV  
He hears it too. He hears it too. Why won’t he say why? Can’t he tell how much it hurts? Amy followed him out the room, she wants answers and it’s clear to the both of us that I don’t have them. I’m alone now except for the constant drumming. It’s pointing me towards the console, there’s something there that I have to find. I stand from the chair instantly at attention. There. 

I walk carefully around and stop staring at the object resting just below the screen. It’s a watch? I don’t know why but I can tell it’s broken; it’s always been broken but never opened. I reach for it hesitantly. It’s mine. I know that much. I curl up on the floor with my back to the console, protecting the watch from the universe.

I’m still there when they return. Amy’s face is in front of me. She’s trying to take the watch. No! I struggle against her but she’s stronger than this body. As she pull it from my hands, I hit the clasp by mistake. The Doctor’s shouting now but I can’t hear him. It’s all gone black and silent. All except for the bang bang bang bang of the drums. 

 

Doctor POV  
Amy and I walk back into the room that we recently vacated. Rory’s there, he’s curled up on his side and Amy immediately runs to his side. If I was allowing myself to believe that I am correct; I would be right there with her. She’s pulling something away from him. No, no, no, it can’t be.   
“Amy stop!” My shout surprises her and her hands jerk, my perception of time seems to slow down as I watch the watch flip open and the cloud of energy that will change everything leak out and flow into Rory. Rory slumps unconscious to the floor but I need restrain him quickly, he can’t be loose now, after all he’s done. 

I push Amy aside and normally I would be gentler but this is no time to be a gentleman. I grab his arms to put him in the handcuffs (that had been in my pocket for reasons that I’d rather not think about) but then he speaks and it’s as if Gallifrey itself is speaking. The memories rush over me suddenly. They used to call it the Shining World of the Seven Systems. And on the continent of Wild Endeavour, in the mountains of Solace and Solitude, there stood the Citadel of the Time Lords. The oldest and most mighty race in the universe. Looking down on the galaxies below, sworn never to interfere, only to watch. Children of Gallifrey were taken from their families at the age of eight, to enter the Academy. 

I almost miss what he’s said but when it registers I can’t help but to release a bitter laugh. So, I was right after all.

“Say my name Doctor.” It occurs to me that I could turn this into a joke, repeat ‘my name’ to him. He wouldn’t find this funny. Rory probably wouldn’t either. Oh Amy, how am I going to explain this. If it’s anything like when I was John Smith then Rory is long gone now. And he's not coming back.

I raise my head slowly. “Master.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! I just thought that it was an interesting idea.


End file.
